Scarica la guida in PDF - Le Strade dei Parchi
Scarica la guida in PDF - Le Strade dei Parchi
Scarica la guida in PDF - Le Strade dei Parchi
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12<br />
away from the Rome metropolitan area; for the p<strong>la</strong>nts and animals cl<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
this cliff which dispenses space and tranquility; for the hikers and nature lovers<br />
who rediscover a forgotten silence and far reach<strong>in</strong>g views along its trails. This had<br />
to be a protected area: the Monte Soratte nature reserve.<br />
The <strong>la</strong>st leg of the it<strong>in</strong>erary towards north and f<strong>in</strong>ally we reach the shores of the<br />
formerly sacred Tiber River. Perhaps this is the greatest surprise of all - especially<br />
for people such as modern day Romans follow<strong>in</strong>g this guide who are used to<br />
associat<strong>in</strong>g the Tiber River with decay and pollution.<br />
In some p<strong>la</strong>ces along its course, the river bends so sharply that its meanders almost<br />
touch each other. Even today <strong>in</strong> the countryside of Ponzano Romano the river<br />
flows through <strong>la</strong>ndscapes of pure beauty. These are ever-chang<strong>in</strong>g <strong>la</strong>ndscapes,<br />
shaped by floods and by man who soon farmed these rare f<strong>la</strong>t <strong>la</strong>nds far from the<br />
sea. At Fi<strong>la</strong>cciano a t<strong>in</strong>y little-known town awaits us. It’s a p<strong>la</strong>ce to be discovered<br />
<strong>in</strong> the same way as the little-known towns located on the cliffs which look over<br />
the river valley just to the south: Torrita Tiber<strong>in</strong>a and Nazzano.<br />
They each have a nice castle. They are t<strong>in</strong>y capitals of a historical protected area<br />
of Lazio. It was the first protected area to be established <strong>in</strong> the far off 1970s: the<br />
Nazzano, Tevere- Farfa nature reserve.<br />
This reserve will leave a special memory <strong>in</strong> our travel journal (paper or mental<br />
as it may be) with its riparian woods and reeds, and the plentiful encounters with<br />
the many species of birds that can be observed from the w<strong>in</strong>dows of the birdwatch<strong>in</strong>g<br />
hides.<br />
At Civitel<strong>la</strong> San Paolo we f<strong>in</strong>d the <strong>la</strong>st castle which marks the end of our trip,<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g a loop which goes back to Sant’Oreste.<br />
The guide<br />
This handbook for the visitor of the “The Etruscan canyons and Tiber Valley<br />
It<strong>in</strong>erary” has a dual purpose. It aims at mak<strong>in</strong>g the general public acqua<strong>in</strong>ted<br />
with the values and special characteristics of the different areas described, whether<br />
they are protected or not. It also wants to stimu<strong>la</strong>te exploration <strong>in</strong> those people<br />
who are already <strong>in</strong> the area.<br />
The guide describes the p<strong>la</strong>ces and completes the <strong>in</strong>formation provided <strong>in</strong> the<br />
<strong>in</strong>formation panels disp<strong>la</strong>yed along the route. Just as for the panels however, this<br />
guide does not have the ambition to be exhaustive and complete; it is meant as<br />
just another tool avai<strong>la</strong>ble for the tourist.<br />
It is not an encyclopedic manual but just a source of extra <strong>in</strong>formation that could<br />
complement other guide books or <strong>in</strong>formation given <strong>in</strong> the parks’ visitor centers,<br />
<strong>in</strong> tourism offices, or <strong>in</strong> the “pro loco” (local visitor’s office <strong>in</strong> small towns).<br />
After the description of the different routes and the characteristics of the parks that<br />
are visited, the f<strong>in</strong>al section conta<strong>in</strong>s a brief selection of services that are avai<strong>la</strong>ble<br />
along the various stops: lodg<strong>in</strong>g, restaurants, visitor centers, etc.